All materials courtesy of Hershey's syrup and Hershey's ice cream toppings The thought of summer brings with it visions of backyard barbecues, family reunions, poolside parties and other outdoor occasions. What better way to beat the heat and still enjoy all of your favorite activities than with a summer ice cream extravaganza? [cont. from lifestyle ] Creating an ice cream extravaganza is as easy as your imagination. Easy make-ahead ice cream recipes paired with last-minute blender beverages will help you keep your cool while enjoying the hot weather.

For the sugar syrup: Grated zest of 2 lemons 2 cups sugar 2 cups water For the lemonade: 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 12 lemons), with half of the rinds reserved and roughly chopped 3 cups cold water To make the sugar syrup, in a medium saucepan combine the zest, sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Transfer the syrup to a 2-quart pitcher.

When looking through the pantry and cupboards, I came across a few ingredients that can create the most deliciously moist sweet bread. The key was to use the carrots' natural sweetness accompanied by a little bit of pancake syrup, and then cook them down until they are nice and tender. A key point here is that many call the small carrots, baby carrots, when in fact they are normal-sized carrots simply shaved down on a vegetable lathe. Try experimenting with maple syrup or honey in place of pancake syrup, or completely eliminating the syrup all together and increase the sugar up to 2 1/2 cups, or even 3 cups if you want a really sweet bread.

CLEAR SPRING - For the past two weeks, three Clear Spring High School students have measured tapped sap from the Fairview Outdoor Education Center's sugar maple trees in preparation for the Saturday's fourth annual Maple Sugar Festival. What they've found, according to both the students and retired state park ranger Chuck Bowler, is that this winter's temperatures have made for low sap production. "It's a bad year for sap," Bowler said. "It's either been completely cold or completely warm.

CLEAR SPRING ? For the past two weeks, three Clear Spring High School students have measured tapped sap from the Fairview Outdoor Education Center's sugar maple trees in preparation for the Saturday's fourth annual Maple Sugar Festival. What they've found, according to both the students and retired state park ranger Chuck Bowler, is that this winter's temperatures have made for low sap production. "It's a bad year for sap," Bowler said. "It's either been completely cold or completely warm.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a column about one of the major crops, corn, and before the ink was dry on the early edition, I received several calls and emails asking what was the crop growing at Antietam National Battlefield that looked sort of like corn but wasn't. The answer to that question is Milo or Sorghum. Sorghum, a grain, forage or sugar crop, is among the most efficient crops in conversion of solar energy and use of water. Sorghum is known as a high-energy, drought tolerant crop.

andrear@herald-mail.com MERCERSBURG, Pa. - Phyllis Ishler of Mercersburg expects the requests to start rolling in when the Tri-State area apple harvest begins each autumn. Everybody loves her apple dumplings. Ishler folds thinly sliced and spiced Stayman apples in homemade dough, covers the dumplings with a cinnamony sweet syrup and bakes them until the apple centers are tender, the crusty exteriors cooked through and the syrup bubbly. "It's almost like a custard dumpling to me," said Ishler, who inherited the delectable dumpling recipe from her husband Vince's grandmother, the late Jewel Harshberger of Buffalo Run, Pa., soon after the couple was married in 1977.

This recipe comes by way of the new flatbread and pizza station at Shepherd University's new student center retail concept. After spending the better part of two days creating and building Napa Valley and buffalo chicken pizzas, I wanted to create something sweet that was easy to make, fun and delicious. These can be made in the oven or on the grill. Scott C. Anderson is associate food service director and chef with Shepherd University dining services in Shepherdstown, W.Va., and Chef Ambassador to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

This recipe comes by way of the new flatbread and pizza station at Shepherd University's new student center retail concept. After spending the better part of two days creating and building Napa Valley and buffalo chicken pizzas, I wanted to create something sweet that was easy to make, fun and delicious. These can be made in the oven or on the grill. Scott C. Anderson is associate food service director and chef with Shepherd University dining services in Shepherdstown, W.Va., and Chef Ambassador to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a column about one of the major crops, corn, and before the ink was dry on the early edition, I received several calls and emails asking what was the crop growing at Antietam National Battlefield that looked sort of like corn but wasn't. The answer to that question is Milo or Sorghum. Sorghum, a grain, forage or sugar crop, is among the most efficient crops in conversion of solar energy and use of water. Sorghum is known as a high-energy, drought tolerant crop.

Julia Brugh of Hagerstown has can ned with her mother and sister for many years. She said she and her sisters grew up watching their mother can produce from the gardens their dad planted at their homes in West Virginia and, later, in Maryland. Brugh's mother, Peggy Stinson, started canning in 1969 with the produce from her husband's first garden in Harpers Ferry, W.Va. Stinson continued to can annually, feeding a family of nine children. Brugh's sister, Roxanne Brewer, visits during the peach harvest in Washington County.

When looking through the pantry and cupboards, I came across a few ingredients that can create the most deliciously moist sweet bread. The key was to use the carrots' natural sweetness accompanied by a little bit of pancake syrup, and then cook them down until they are nice and tender. A key point here is that many call the small carrots, baby carrots, when in fact they are normal-sized carrots simply shaved down on a vegetable lathe. Try experimenting with maple syrup or honey in place of pancake syrup, or completely eliminating the syrup all together and increase the sugar up to 2 1/2 cups, or even 3 cups if you want a really sweet bread.

WASHINGTON COUNTY -- Yes, we can -- and we bake, weave, paint and take pictures. Renaissance residents of the Tri-State area were at Washington County Agricultural Education Center on Thursday to showcase the fruits of their work in the kitchen, the studio and the wood shop. Hours, days or months of labor were over; the opinion of experts was what mattered. Each year, a judging session prefaces Washington County's Ag Expo & Fair at the ag center south of Hagerstown. The expo and fair has rides, animals, vendors and food.

WAYNESBORO, Pa. --Â Grace Powell eats syrup-covered pancakes for breakfast most days, and she often requests them for lunch and supper, too. Her recent donation to Waynesboro Area Human Services allowed the second-grader to share her favorite food with those who are less fortunate. "People are losing their jobs and I wanted to help," said Grace, 8. Debbie Jacobs, Grace's teacher at Hooverville Elementary School in Waynesboro, asked students to develop a project to mark the 100th day of the academic year.

You might have seen the recent commercials on TV that are promoting alleged facts about high fructose corn syrup. These commercials claim that since high fructose corn syrup is made from corn, it is actually healthy if consumed in moderation. Well, I have some contrary facts I'd like you to read. First, I'll tell you exactly what high fructose corn syrup (HFCS for short) is. Here's how it works: HFCS is made by changing the sugar (glucose) in cornstarch to fructose, another sugar.

For the sugar syrup: Grated zest of 2 lemons 2 cups sugar 2 cups water For the lemonade: 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 12 lemons), with half of the rinds reserved and roughly chopped 3 cups cold water To make the sugar syrup, in a medium saucepan combine the zest, sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Transfer the syrup to a 2-quart pitcher.

KEENE VALLEY, N.Y. - Sugar is always getting bad press: Obesity, rotting teeth, hyperactivity, agitated girlfriends pouring five-pound bags into the gas tanks of their boyfriends' cars. But not here. In the hardwood forests of northeastern New York, sugar is treated with a reverent awe normally reserved for gothic sanctuaries or Hannah Montana. This is the only place I know of where sugar - in the form of maple syrup - is actually mentioned in the same breath as "nutritional value.